Abd Allah b. Uqba al-Ghanawi

Abd Allah b. Uqba al-Ghanawi

Religious Affiliation	Kharijites
Lineage	Ghani Tribe
Known for	Killing Abu Bakr b. al-Imam al-Hasan (a)
Notable roles	Soldier in the army of Umar b. Sa'd in the Battle of Karbala

ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUqba al-Ghanawī (Arabic: عبدالله بن عُقبَة الغَنَوي) was a soldier in the army of Umar b. Sa'd in the Battle of Karbala who martyred Abu Bakr b. al-Imam al-Hasan (a). He was one of the Kharijites at the time of Mustawrid b. 'Ullafa's riot before the battle of Karbala.

From Kharijites

Abd Allah b. Uqba was a member of the Kharijites at a young age. He was present in Mustawrid b. Ullafa's riot against al-Mughira b. Shu'ba (the governor of Kufa appointed by Mu'awiya). When the riot was suppressed and Mustawrid was killed, Sharik b. Namla al-Muharibi asked al-Mughira not to kill Abd Allah b. Uqba.

Battle of Karbala

Abd Allah b. Uqba was among the soldiers of Umar b. Sa'd in the Battle of Karbala. He martyred Abu Bakr b. al-Hasan by throwing an arrow; he is cursed in Ziyara al-Nahiya al-Muqaddasa for that throw. Besides, Ibn Sa'd believed that Ja'far b. al-Husayn was martyred by him.

The poems of Sulayman b. Qatta grieving on the martyrs of Karbala includes a verse about a person from Ghani tribe who martyred a companion of Imam al-Husayn (a) which possibly refers to Abd Allah b. Uqba:

A drop of our blood is in the Ghani tribe, and we will avenge for it on an appropriate day

Death

When al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi was taking revenge for the martyrs of Karbala, Abd Allah b. Uqba ran away to Jazira (a place between the Tigris and the Euphrates) and al-Mukhtar destroyed his house. It is said soldiers of al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi killed him, or he died out of thirst.